Overview: Among the most prolific of anime composers, Yoko Kanno stands as one of the most loved and sought-after songwriters in the industry. Her works are particularly notable for covering a huge swath of genres; from the pumping synth-techno of Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex to the sweeping spiritual chanting of Earth Girl Arjuna, Kanno dabs her compositional brush into many styles. Arguably the most famous of her scores is that of the jazzy Cowboy Bebop, likely many peoples’ first encounter with Kanno and the soundtrack with which she is most frequently associated. In addition to her anime works, she’s composed music for commercials, live-action movies, and several video games. Lastly, she’s also an excellent J-pop composer, whose works have been performed by such high-profile artists as Maaya Sakamoto, Crystal Kay, Aki Okui, and more recently, May’n and Megumi Nakajima in the latest installment of the Macross franchise.
In case you’re here to only listen to the soundclips and not read any of the text, below is the master list of all the pieces featured in this profile entry in order. It’ll save time if you don’t want to have to click through each and every track.
Master List
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